Ripper in Time
by craterdweller
Summary: While hunting a pair of dangerous demons in London, Giles comes across someone from his Ripper days.


London 2006: Just after midnight

Rose had a hankering for chips and the only place to really get chips was in London. The Doctor really couldn't fault Rose for wanting to occasionally stop in and visit her Mum, although the way Jackie looked at him last Christmas still made him shudder. As they walked along the deserted street they heard sounds of an argument from a nearby alley.

"Giles, this is pointless. What are we doing out here?", Buffy demanded petulantly. She'd been in London for three days. Three days since Dawn informed her of her intention to train as a Watcher after finishing university. Three days of hell for Giles, her ex-Watcher, and the person whom Buffy was determined to blame for her sister's decision.

Letting out a sigh, Giles remarked tiredly, "I am looking for the pair of Ahtonos demons, Buffy. They are very dangerous and may be responsible for quite a few deaths in the area. And if I recall, it was you who insisted on coming, over my objections I might add." He shook his head sadly and wondered if they would ever patch up their relationship. Buffy had largely ignored him after the collapse of Sunnydale, choosing to move to Rome with Dawn and having little contact with either him or the new Council. But three days ago she showed up on his doorstep so furious he'd briefly wondered if she'd planned to slay him.

"And you're the only one that can find them?", she scoffed.

Giles was about to reply when he heard a noise, so instead he shushed her. Grabbing his arm and spinning him around, Buffy angrily retorted, "Don't you shush me! I'm the Slayer!"

Rose and The Doctor, the source of the noise Giles had heard, entered the alley. "Ripper? Ripper Giles?" With an expression of delight, The Doctor ran up and embraced the shocked Watcher, who disengaged himself from the hug and took a step back.

"Do I know you?" Giles asked.

Meanwhile, Buffy just rolled her eyes and said, "Fantastic. Another blast from your demon summoning past, just what I need."

The Doctor shot a glare at the tiny blonde slayer and then looked over at the Watcher, noting his pained expression. She'd hurt him with the comment, and judging by the look on her face, she was pleased that her barb had scored.

**Flashback: 1973 - Just after The Android Invasion - location London **

The Doctor and Sarah Jane walked along the dark streets. It was late, but not so late that the pubs were closed. They passed a young man wearing a leather jacket, white t-shirt and torn blue-jeans, walking with a young woman under each arm. He looked a bit dangerous, and The Doctor wasn't too thrilled when he flashed a grin at Sarah, but the trio kept walking. Something grabbed Sarah from an alleyway and another set of strong arms grabbed The Doctor. The creatures had yellow eyes, pronounced ridges on their foreheads and fangs. Then the tough looking young man was there, swinging his left arm in a movement so fast he barely saw it and the two creatures exploded into dust.

"What?" The Doctor didn't get a chance to finish though as the young man was helping a stunned Sarah to her feet. Again, the smile, but this time Sarah returned it.

"Thank you, mister?"

"Giles. But my friends call me Ripper." And with a brief kiss to Sarah's knuckles and a wave to the Doctor he was off again in search of his two companions.

** End Flashback **

After getting back to the TARDIS, The Doctor dug up all he could find on one Ripper Giles and found the young man had some interesting times ahead. He came across the strange journals, called Watcher's Diaries, and read a fascinating story of Watchers, Slayers and Vampires.

He'd heard the girl mention she was the Slayer so he supposed Ripper was still a Watcher.  
A muffled gasp from Rose had him turning quickly back to the mouth of the alley. A large 7 foot scaled creature had Rose under one arm and was dragging her off.

"Vincere" Giles said with his left arm extended. And the demon was enveloped in a greenish ring preventing him from getting away. A blonde blur rushed past tackling the Ahtonos and sent Rose sprawling to safety, but not before the demon's arm had swung out knocking the Slayer into the brick wall. Giles, broadsword in hand, stood between the two blondes and the Ahtonos. He feinted to the right and then swung the sword at the demon's head, neatly decapitating it. Grasping his side, he fell to his knees and The Doctor noticed that victory had come with a price.

Buffy was the first one to the fallen Watcher. "Giles?"

"Buffy. I'm sorry. Sorry, I wasn't the Watcher you wanted. Needed." He gasped as he closed his eyes.

"Giles?" Tears were streaming down the Slayer's face as she tried to cradle his head in her lap.

The Doctor knelt next to the man that had saved two of his companions without a thought for his own safety. He took out his sonic screwdriver and adjusted the setting, then cauterized the wound.

Giles gasped in pain then shook his head. "It is no use. Poison. Very Deadly."

"Help me get him to the TARDIS. I'm not giving up on him."

Buffy quickly got under his arm on his injured side while The Doctor got under the other. When they reached the TARDIS, Buffy stopped, her eyes narrowing. "Wait! If you wanted to call the Police we could have used Giles' cell. I thought you were taking him to something called, Tardy? Which I totally don't get, 'cuz he needs help like NOW!"

"No. The TARDIS." Rose said as she indicated the door to the blue Police Box.

Buffy blinked but hadn't resumed moving.

"Buffy, if you want him to live, then we need to get him inside." The Doctor said firmly but not unkindly.

Buffy reached out with her Slayer senses. Rose was pure human. But the other was clearly a being of power. Yet, she wasn't detecting anything malevolent from him. Besides, as a rule evil demons don't usually run up and give their victims a hug. She nodded at him and they quickly got Giles inside the TARDIS.

"Umm. This is way bigger than it looked on the outside."

"Yes, I'll be happy to explain it to you both once we get Ripper cured. Bring him over here."

Buffy held Giles' hand while The Doctor waved his funny instruments over him. She bit her lip nervously, "Can you save him?"

"Nasty poison. Let's see, endomicycin, no. Tetraphelian? Ahhh." The Doctor was absorbed at the console and appeared to be speaking to himself rather than addressing Buffy's question. But Rose answered, "If anyone can save him, The Doctor can."

"Oh, so he's a Doctor and this is his office?"

"Not that kind of Doctor," The Doctor mumbled. He punched a few buttons and adjusted a few dials and a green light surrounded Giles. Giles gasped twice and then sat up. Buffy flung her arms around his neck, "Giles! Oh god, I thought I'd lost you."

"Erm, not that I am not grateful," he glanced at The Doctor and Rose, "but why am I not dead? The poison from the Ahtonos demon is always fatal."

"The Doctor used his TARDY thingy to heal you. And why didn't you tell me that the Achoo demon's claws were poisonous? And you were planning on going after a pair of them by yourself? You could have gotten yourself killed Mister!"

Giles sighed. "Ahtonos demon, Buffy. And I did mention that they were likely responsible for a number of deaths in the area. Your arrival was unexpected and I didn't want to risk any of the new girls, so yes, I planned on dispatching them on my own. I'm not inexperienced you know."

She gently rubbed his shoulder. "I know Giles. I'm sorry I yelled at you and I'm sorry I've been such a bitca. But you really scared me tonight. If The Doctor hadn't been there I could have lost you." She sniffed and wiped away the last of her tears before enveloping him in a careful hug. "Does the demon venom cause memory loss? 'Cuz he called you Ripper and gave you a big hug and all but you act like you don't know him." She slid into a defensive stance and eyed The Doctor warily.

"Ah. I can explain that you see. I had a different face when we met. And I rather think Ripper was paying more attention to Sarah Jane. I'm not sure if you even gave me a second look." He grinned cheekily at the now blushing Giles.

"When and where did we meet exactly?"

"London. 1973. Just after midnight. You were walking with two lovely ladies and smiled at Sarah Jane as you passed. Then something grabbed Sarah Jane and I from behind and like a flash you swooped in and I believe the term is "staked" them."

"Ah yes. Um, well that was a long time ago. I'm not that man anymore." Giles stuttered.

"Not the man who risks his life to save total strangers?" he asked with raised eyebrows.

Buffy wrapped her arm around Giles' waist and helped him stand. "No, he still does that all the time. But Giles' doesn't like to talk of his Ripper days." She shared a look with The Doctor. A look that said, "Back off."

Rose, noticing the tension, asked, "So where does one find some decent chips around here?"

"There's a place in Covent Gardens that has decent chips. But it is not only vampires that you have to worry about at this time of night. " He narrowed his eyes. "Your accent marks you as a Londoner. Have you been away?"

"That my friend is a long story for another time. But perhaps you and Buffy could join us and you can tell us all about Vampires and demons," The Doctor added hopefully.

"I'm afraid there is still the matter of the other Ahtonos demon that is on the loose. I must stop it before it strikes again."

"No, you need to take it easy, while I kill the Ahtooey demon."

When he opened his mouth to protest, Buffy placed a firm finger to his lips. "No arguments." She looked pleadingly to Rose and The Doctor. "Will you two keep an eye on him? I'll meet you at the chips place as soon as I'm done."

"Buffy! I don't need a babysitter." Giles protested.

"Never said you did. I just thought you might want to catch up with your NOT evil friend from your past." She smirked at him and then snatched up his broadsword.

When he started to object again, she pouted. He sighed and gave in.

"Yay! I win!"


End file.
